Addicted
by Sabi's dream world
Summary: Veronica has been avoiding Neptune because of what it brings with it, her addiction to private investigations and toxic relationships. Eventual LoVe.
1. Reunions

PIZ POV

Piz looked out at Veronica sitting at the coffee table. He tried to keep the sadness off his face. They had been together for several years now and their life was good. This was the woman of his dreams but he knew he wasn't the man of her dreams. He didn't doubt for one second that she cared for him, that she loved him, but it wasn't enough. She was an addict and one day it would blow up in all of their faces. Addicted to the investigative job and addicted to…well, addicted to a certain individual man. He knew that Veronica hadn't seen Logan since she left Hearst but it still hurt knowing that she felt something towards him, he could see it in her eyes. Piz was the safe option. There was only one question left on his mind: should he wait for this all to blow up in their faces or should he take that one step he had left, that one thing he could control, and break it off? He ran through all their memories together. They had been together for so long that he couldn't imagine a life without Veronica.

The high school reunion was the final piece of the puzzle.

VERONICA POV

The moment she steps inside the Neptune High bubble she knows she is doomed.

It's wonderful seeing her friends again. Wallace and Jackie have baby number two on their way. They want Veronica and Mac to be the godmothers to both these children.

"Don't forget, you are a marshmallow." Wallace smiles at Veronica when he notices her wide grin.

There were, however, two people she doesn't expect to see at this reunion. Well, there are more, like Duncan, but he isn't here.

Logan and Dick are standing at a high table, deep in conversation. Veronica's breath runs out and she swallows.

It's only Mac's voice that brings her back to the present.

"Need a drink?" Mac asks with a smirk. She must've seen Veronica staring at Logan.

She knows it's wrong. Piz and her have a good thing going. She has a great and stable job. Everything is great, yet, there is a strange hole inside of her. It isn't the same kind of hole that Duncan and Lily left, it's deeper.

"Yeah." Veronica sighs.

There is something off about Mac but Veronica can't quite pinpoint what it is. She'll have plenty of time to ask her later.

"So, anyone special in your life?" Veronica asks Mac. Mac fidgets and avoids Veronica's eyes.

"…maybe…" Mac replies and Veronica's smile grows.

"Well don't leave a girl hanging. Do tell!"

"Ah, maybe later, yeah? I promise." Mac says and Veronica frowns, but lets it go.

The night is going well and for the most part Veronica manages to avoid Logan and any thoughts of Logan.

The four of them talk, going both for nostalgic conversations, carefully steering away from Logan-related topics, and catching up with what's going on in their lives at the moment.

That is until Dick walks over to their table. Veronica tries to avoid cringing but it's her automatic response to anything related to Dick. She knows it isn't fair. She knows it isn't completely Dick's fault what happened to Veronica at that fateful party. He isn't his brother yet she knows that Dick pushed his brother overboard, she knows that Dick had been ignorant, and she couldn't help but want to throw all blame on him. He looked too much like his brother. She never told her friends and she wasn't planning on it.

"Well isn't it Veronica Mars and her gang." Dick says. She can see that he's had a few drinks but his constant joyful expression remains on his face.

"Dick." Veronica nods. Dick looks at Mac and smiles gently. It confuses Veronica but before she can think about it the man she has been avoiding makes an appearance.

"Dick, do you know whe—" Logan begins but stops when he sees who's standing in front of him and Dick. Their eyes meet and it sparks all the past inside Veronica before she looks away.

"Logan." She nods at him.

"A bit formal tonight Ronnie, don't ya think?" Dick laughs.

There's an awkward silence.

Dick puts his arm around Mac and she partially returns the gesture. Everything inside Veronica's head clicks. This is the man Mac wouldn't tell her about. She snaps.

Tightening her jaw and glaring at the pair, she stomps out of there.

"What the hell is her problem?" Dick asks.

Veronica's clenching her hands when someone touches her shoulder gently.

The person comes to stand in front of her. It's Logan. She wants to both punch him and hug him, all at the same time.

"Don't you dare say anything about me being overly dramatic. You know perfectly well why I don't like him." She snarls and notices everyone in that group turn towards them. She sighs. She thought they were out of earshot but apparently not.

"I know." Logan says with sadness in his eyes.

"I don't want Mac to get hurt." Veronica says.

"Dick would never hurt her. He's a good man. He's changed. We all have." Logan says.

"Perhaps. But that doesn't mean I have to forgive him." She says.

"Holding grudges, huh?"

"No, that's your thing. And this isn't a grudge, you know that."

He decides to ignore her jab.

"He doesn't know, Veronica. He doesn't know what happened…And you forgave me."

"I have no need to make up with him. It's not like I ever have to see him again." She ignores the last part.

"I won't tell you what to do. But don't ruin this night for yourself. Go back over there, be with your friends." Logan says gently.

"That would go against me trying to avoid you." She says.

"You were trying to avoid me?" Logan asks.

"Haven't you?"

He hangs his head in defeat.

"I should go." She says and leaves without another word.


	2. Number Two

The next day Wallace and Jackie are at the Mars house. Mac doesn't make an appearance and Veronica is secretly grateful. Piz flew in for a couple of days, which somehow calms Veronica down. The four of them plus her dad are playing cards. No one mentions her reaction from yesterday and she's thankful.

There's a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Veronica says as she stands up.

She doesn't expect to see Logan behind the door. Annoyingly enough, her heart flutters when she sees him. Veronica smiles and he returns the smile.

"Hey, uh, you left this at the event yesterday, so I thought I should get this to you…" Logan says handing her a leather jacket. She takes it from him.

"Thanks." She says awkwardly. She can't help but feel self-conscious when everyone else in the house has less-than favourable feelings towards Logan, yet here she is talking to him like nothing ever happened.

There is blame to be thrown around but it is equally balanced between her and Logan. She made plenty of terrible decisions and so did he.

"It was nice seeing you yesterday." Veronica says and he smiles.

"You too, Veronica, you too. Who would've thought, huh?" He says. It's true. If anyone had told her way back then that she would be calmly standing in front of Logan Echolls having a non-toxic conversation, well, she would have called them delusional.

Then suddenly she notices a shift in Logan's expression as he takes a small step backwards. She looks behind her and sees Piz standing not far behind. She sighs internally. She was about to invite Logan inside but immediately realizes that would be the worst idea of any that she's ever had.

"I should…go." He says and she doesn't respond, instead giving him a weak smile.

When the door closes, Piz turns to her.

"What did he want?" he asks.

"He was just returning me my leather jacket." Veronica responds and Piz's eyebrows rise.

"I left it at the event yesterday when I left early and I guess none of my friends noticed it missing." Veronica adds.

She doesn't sleep well that night.

Veronica and Piz decide to take a nice stroll down the beach the next day.

Veronica stops and turns to Piz.

"Out with it." She says.

"What?" He replies.

"You've been fidgety all morning and you've barely said a word on this walk. What's up?" she asks. She's nervous. She rarely got nervous when it comes to Piz.

"I…I love you Veronica." He says and it brings a wide smile to her face.

"I love you too Piz, you know that." she replies.

"I know, I know, but…" he says and the word 'but' makes her smile disappear. 'I love you but' is never a good sign.

"Piz." she says, nudging him to get on with it.

He looks down at his feet and takes her hands in his.

"I love you and I know that you love me too…but I also know that I'm not enough for you." He says.

"What? How can you say that?" She pulls her hands out of his.

"Oh come on, Veronica. I was never going to be enough. And I knew that but I don't think I can go further, not anymore. I know you've taken on some investigative tasks whilst here in Neptune, it's like an itch you finally got to scratch again. You're addicted to it. And don't even get me started on the look you get when it comes to Logan." He says the last part with venom in his tone.

"Piz! I'm over both the P.I. work and Logan. It's been many years. Just because Logan came by the house yesterday doesn't mean anything." Veronica says, desperately trying to keep Piz from going down the road she fears he's heading towards.

"I can't be number two anymore, Veronica. I love you and always will, but this isn't good for either of us. It was before but not anymore." He says.

A tear springs in her eyes. It was rare for her to let her guard down like this.

"Are you…are you breaking up with me? After all these amazing years you're doing this? How can you…" Veronica asks.

"I'm sorry. It isn't something I want to do but it's better for both of us."

"You don't get to say what's good for me."

"No, maybe not, but I can say what's good for me."

"Piz, please don't do this…"

"Maybe one day we can be friends, but right now, I just…I need to go." Piz says and leaves her standing there alone on the beach.

She stands there for what feels like hours until a gentle touch brings her back.

"Veronica? Is everything alright?" A voice she would recognize anywhere says. Logan. She sighs. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Yes." She says resolutely.

"Well you don't look fine. Do you need a ride home?"

"I said I'm fine Logan. Don't you have better things to do? You've already done enough. Leave me alone." She says and immediately regrets those harsh words but doesn't take them back. Her heart aches.

"I was just trying to help." He says annoyed.

"Then stop." She shoots him a glare, and it seems enough for him to back away and leave.


End file.
